A clogged kitchen drain happens to most homeowners at one point in time, and it’s a pain to deal with. Not only does it take longer to clear water from the sink, if it goes down at all, but the gunk inside it may start to smell. Furthermore, leaks can break out if enough pressure is put on the pipes.
Though it’s not part of lists of home repairs you should never put off a clogged kitchen drain must be addressed sooner than later. If not, you may end up paying a higher repair bill to remove the clog and fix any other damage such as broken pipes or water-stained walls and ceilings. To prevent this from happening, here are six ways to be free of clogged kitchen drains.
- Hire a professional
if your sink constantly clogs the issue may be bigger than you think. In that case, you want to seek professional help. For example, if you click here you’ll discover one company that handles sink clogs and what they do to completely remove them.
One of the things these professionals do is snake the drain to loosen the clog. If that doesn’t work, they have the necessary tools to remove the blockage, even if it means disassembling the pipes underneath the sink. In addition, they will also look beyond the elbow joints to see if a blockage is coming from outside sources. For instance, roots growing inside the pipes.
- Natural drain cleaners
If you don’t want to go with a professional just yet, then you can clean a clogged kitchen drain with natural products. Some companies sell enzyme-based drain cleaners that eat away at microorganisms called biofilms. Thus, they are useful for dispersing buildups of soap and grease in your kitchen sink.
Another natural cleaner is the multi-purpose combination of baking soda and white vinegar. Simply remove the drain cover and pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain along with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse it out after 15 minutes with hot water.
These natural solutions aren’t as corrosive as other products. In addition, they are effective to clear small to medium clogs and keep them clean with regular use. However, if you still have metal pipes under your sink, then you want to avoid the baking soda-vinegar mixture to prevent corrosion.
- Keep food out of the sink
Regardless if you have a garbage disposal or not, try to keep food out of the drain as much as possible. Especially large items that take longer to break down. And never put oil or grease down the sink. They build a wall in the pipes to stop the regular water flow.
- Add a drain catcher
You’ve probably seen or used these before. They resemble tiny colanders, and rightly so. They keep food and other items out of the drain while letting water in. Make sure to empty the catcher every so often so that doesn’t become the reason for the clog.
- Check the disposal
In some instances, it’s not the drain pipes that are the source of the clog. It’s in your garbage disposal. To check this out, run the disposal without any dishes to see if water builds up in the sink.
- Use professional-style drain cleaner
While products like Liquid Plumber may help clear a drain they might not help if it’s severe enough. In those situations, you need to use extra-strength chemicals, and you might need to use more than one bottle. In the end, if that still doesn’t help clear the drain, then you want to go back to suggestion number one and hire a professional.
